


Bonding Time

by TheCookieOfDoom



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:34:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheCookieOfDoom/pseuds/TheCookieOfDoom
Summary: “If it’s not dangerous for alphas to be around in-heat omegas, then why is it so important for us to stay away from them?”“Another good question. Have any of you heard of what’s called a ‘heat bond’? Simply put, it’s a temporary mating. The omega in question would have your scent, and you would both feel the same effects as if you’d become mates. Usually they wear off within a week or two of separation. Now, any more questions?”“You mentioned we may have to care for relatives. Is it possible to have a heat bond with someone you’re related to?”





	1. Chapter 1

With flu season beginning to hit its stride, it seemed almost every Westeros High student was out sick. It was certainly a high percentage of absences, some undoubtedly using the spreading sickness as an excuse to ditch class rather than truly being sick. A few were being kept home, definitely not sick with parents attempting to keep it that way. Truly, it was likely only about a hundred students out of about a thousand that were away for some reason or another.

When a certain teenage beta woke up with a fever and labored breathing—sweating—he figured it was the same sickness that had been going around school, and silently swore to himself that he would ring Grenn’s head like a bell for giving it to him; he had been the only one in Jon’s small group of friends that had gotten sick thus far. Jon couldn’t afford to be bedridden today of all days. He had two tests, neither of which he could afford to miss if he wanted to maintain his scores. Especially not his test with Mr. Thorne; that man was a wretched shadow of someone who may have been great once, but who was now nothing more than an angry old man that got off to tormenting young teenagers. He was looking for anything he could do to make his students’ lives harder, and would fail Jon in particular in a heartbeat if he could.

Professor Alliser Thorne didn’t like anyone. He was a hateful man, fueled by spite and the final authority in whether or not a student would pass his class. Surviving AP World History was like trekking through a gauntlet for the average student, but for whatever reason Alliser seemed to have it out for Jon in particular. Perhaps it had to do with Jon’s uncle Benjen, who had replaced Alliser as the varsity lacrosse coach—good riddance too, he was even crueler as a coach than he was now. At least as a history teacher, he couldn’t force his students to run laps or do endless pushups when they angered him. It could have also had something to do with how Jon also felt the need to challenge Alliser at every chance he got.

It took several long minutes before Jon manage to steady his breathing enough to convince himself that he was alright enough to go to school. As good as it felt to stay wrapped up in his warm blankets and soft bed, it wouldn’t be worth the unimaginable consequences—failure without a chance to retake—of missing his history test. His other professors would likely be more forgiving and allow him to make up the tests on account of being sick, but Jon suspected Alliser had never allowed or a sick day a single time in his life.

Sluggishly, and still with difficulty breathing when he moved too fast, Jon forced himself from bed and went to take a brief freezing cold shower in hopes of fighting off the fever. It worked to some degree, and he felt much better when he stepped out of the shower. He dried off and dressed, then went to rifle through the medicine cabinet in hopes of finding something to quell the headache that was making him feel as if his eyes were going to fall out. Taking a test without eyes to read the words on the page would be difficult, and Jon sadly could not read braille.

Unable to find anything, Jon slunk across the tiled floor to the other side of the bathroom, coming to the door that lead into Robb’s bedroom. Jon had to cover his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his hoodie before opening the door and stepping inside, seeing that Robb wasn’t in bed. He hated coming into his cousin’s room, avoiding it whenever possible. Robb’s scent was heavy and thick, clinging to everything in the room. It was almost tangible, permeating the air. Whenever Jon complained, Robb claimed to not even notice it and not understand what Jon’s problem was. But to Jon, it was so strong that he almost gagged. Not that Robb’s scent was bad—he smelled of trees, and the earth after a heavy rain which Jon actually felt to be quite pleasing—it was just that his scent was too much. Overwhelming.

That was arguably the worst part about alphas. The days of scent-marking property may be long gone and socially frowned upon, but their biology was unaware of that, still producing potent pheromones. Both as a deterrent to other alphas from what was claimed as theirs, and as an attractant to omegas. Like flowers to a honeybee. Mr. Seaworth, another professor, swore that betas couldn’t pick up the scents of alphas and omegas so acutely. They were muted at most, but that wasn’t the case for Jon as much as he wished it was. For that very reason, he hated being in the locker room with the alphas in his class after P.E. more than anything. More than Alliser, even.

Trying to ignore the—tantalizing—way his cousin smelled, Jon padded over and quietly shook Robb’s shoulder until he groaned in protest. He swatted at Jon in tired annoyance, like he was an insect, and tried to roll over. He was a lucky bastard, not having any classes first period because he was in his last year.

“Get up,” Jon said, closing his eyes with a soft groan when his voice sounded too loud to his own ears and made his head throb in pain. “Robb,” he whisper-yelled, shaking his shoulder harder. He cursed his cousin for being such a heavy sleeper—while wishing the same was true for him, he was a very light sleeper which often led to restless nights—and pulled the blankets off of him. Within seconds Robb was rolling over to try and reclaim the blankets Jon was holding just out of his reach.

“What do you want,” he groaned, almost whining, his voice rough with sleep. He propped himself up on his elbow and squinted at Jon in the dimly lit room, blinking the tiredness out of his eyes.

Jon was unperturbed as he stared at his bare-chested cousin. “I have a headache. Do you have any painkillers?”

Robb just stared at him for a long moment, before slowly nodding. He vaguely gestured over to his gym bag by the door. “There’s naproxen in the front. By the blue tape.”

“Thank you.” Jon tossed the bundle of blankets back at him and went to rifle through the bag. Behind him, he could hear Robb rustling around and yawning. When he turned, bottle of pills held triumphantly in his hand, he saw Robb sitting up. The blankets were pooled around his waist and he was staring tiredly at Jon, unblinking, not yet fully awake.

“Are you alright?” he asked, rough voice heavy with concern.

“Just getting a bit sick is all, I’ll be fine. Can I borrow this today?” he asked, shaking the bottle of pills with a soft rattle. Robb nodded his assent, raking a hand through his mess of curls.

“Maybe you should stay home today. Dad will write you a note if you ask. Or uncle Benjen would probably cover for you.”

“I can’t. I have a history test that I can’t miss.”

“Good luck, then.”

“Thanks.” Jon left the room, shaking two of the little blue pills into his hand and swallowing them back with a handful of water once he was back in the bathroom. He splashed some cold water on his face in an attempt to cool his one-more flushed skin. It worked briefly, until the water warmed to his temperature. Knowing something so simple as cold water would not be enough to bring down his fever, Jon sighed and dried his face. He reached for his toothbrush to finish up his morning routine, then heading into the kitchen for breakfast.

After the first bite, he realized his mistake. Almost immediately he felt as if he would be sick, overcome with a wave of nausea. Alright, he would not be eating today then. He drank a large glass of water instead, and waited for his uncle to come out and take him to school. He could conceivably drive himself, having gotten his license over a year ago, but he had no car. His aunt and uncle could be considered well off—at least more than others—but a third car payment was not something they wanted to take on. Even Robb had inherited Cat’s car once he got his own license, and it was still really in her name. That was largely why Jon never asked to borrow it if he wanted to go somewhere; he would never hear the end of it from her if he damaged it in any way. He didn’t mind though, he much preferred staying at home anyway.

Jon had only a few minutes to wait for uncle Ned to come out and pick up his keys. “Are you alright, son?” he asked when he noticed how unwell Jon looked, despite Jon trying his best to hide behind his dark curls.

“I’m fine,” he said, hoping that if he said it enough it would be true.

Catelyn, never straying too far from her husband’s side, came over to sniff at him. Jon stepped away, scowling at her—he never like when people did that to him, whatever their reason maybe—and then realized she was looking to see if he smelled like alcohol, or some other such substance. That made sense, since as a beta she wouldn’t be able to read him by his scent alone, unable to detect it—how lucky she was in that regard—but despite what she may think, Jon was not the troublemaker that most believed him to be. She may see him otherwise, but he really had no desire to do anything other than keep his head down, do his homework, and avoid trouble as much as possible. Really, it wasn’t his fault that trouble always seemed to find him.

“The boy was probably just up to late, dear,” she said. “You know how teens are.” Of course, she would probably never say such a thing about _Robb_ , who was the same age as Jon. He was the perfect son.

“You’ll perk up soon enough,” Ned told him, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough that Jon almost lost his balance and stumbled forward. His uncle was too used to roughhousing with Robb, he often forgot that his nephew wasn’t able to take it as well as his son. Luckily Jon was used to playing rough with Robb as well, and was better able to hold his own.

Jon made a noncommittal hum of agreement, picking up his backpack and walking outside into the brisk morning air. He pulled his sleeves down over his hands, arms crossed over his chest while he waited by the car. After giving his wife a goodbye kiss, Ned followed Jon out. The drive to school was silent, Ned’s attempts at conversation going unanswered except for a grunt or nod of acknowledgement.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked as Jon opened the door to get out. Jon shrugged. Robb was right in that Ned would keep him home if he admitted to being sick. He couldn’t afford that.

“I’m just tired. Like Cat said, I was up too late.” He closed the door and went up to the entrance of the school before Ned had a chance to say anything else.

***

Jon got through his first and second classes without incident. As long as he sat completely still at his desk, nor moving or speaking, he could tell himself he was perfectly fine. Swimming vision be damned. Rather than focusing on his lessons, though—that he could barely see anyway—Jon was more concerned with willing himself not to be sick. Under no circumstances could he allow himself to get sent home before the end of his fourth class.

Jon’s third class was with Mr. Baratheon, his uncle’s best friend’s brother, Stannis. He was a cold man, and could be harsh, but he was rigidly fair. It was in his class that everything finally went to hell. Jon had been managing as best he could, but throughout the day his temperature had been rising. He had tried to ignore it, but he could no longer look past the waves of heat washing over him. He could barely see past more than a few feet in front of him, vision hazy and still swimming, only serving to make him more nauseous. Coupled with his head pounding in time with his heart, Jon had to put his head down and just breathe, his cheek pressed to the cold polished wood of his desk. One hand gripped the edge of the desk so hard his knuckles were white the other wrapped around his middle.

“Mr. Baratheon,” said the student to Jon’s left, looking at him with concern. Irritated at having been interrupted, Stannis looked at him with those cold shale-blue eyes of his.

“What?” he asked stiffly, voice clipped.

“Something is wrong with Jon.”

Jon was drawing stares now, wishing he could just withdraw into himself and disappear. He silently cursed the student for drawing the attention of the whole class to him. He tried to say he was fine, but he couldn’t get the words out. “I-I think I need to go to the nurse, sir,” he said instead, with a soft pitiful groan. Jon didn’t know what was going on with his body, but he knew this wasn’t just the flu like he’d thought a few hours ago.

“Did you knowingly come here sick?” Stannis asked. Jon nodded as much as he was able, feeling like an insect under the weight of Stannis’ stare, even if he couldn’t see it. When he looked up, Stannis was scowling at him. The man’s eyes widened in realization, and his nostrils flared as he exhaled sharply. Within seconds the whispers began.

“Is he—”

“I think he is—!”

“But why would he come here if—”

“Not possible—”

“Look at him, he _is_ —”

“No,” Jon said, desperately, “no, I’m not—I _can’t_ —"

“Tarly,” Stannis barked, silencing the students. “Take Snow to the nurse.”

Jon was shaking his head in denial, even as Sam got up and helped him to stand, pulling him out of the class. He put Jon’s arm over his shoulder when the sixteen-year-old showed he could barely stand on his own let alone walk. Everyone’s eyes were glued to them as they stumbled out into the hall. Jon thought he would cry when he felt the slick between his legs, undeniable proof of was happening to him.

“Eyes back on your work,” Stannis ordered. Not one to be disobeyed, everyone did as they were told, still occasionally talking amongst themselves. It was unbelievable that Jon had truly gone into heat in the middle of class, even more so because he had been believed to be a beta all this time.

***

“How many of you here have friends or relatives that are omegas?” Every student, except maybe one or two, raised their hand. “How many of you have been told that you are not to be around an omega who is in heat, unless they are your mate, because you will be overcome by your instincts and try to claim them as your mate?” This time every single student raised their hands. Davos looked at all of them with a quiet, disappointed sigh.

“We are long past the days of using that as an acceptable excuse for assaulting an omega. Should you be in the presence of one, you will not be suddenly incapable of rational thought and think only of mating. You may feel compelled, yes, and some may feel it more strongly than others due to a number of factors, but it is something that is entirely possible to resist. If you wouldn’t do it outside of their heat, then you wouldn’t do it during. Got it?”

A student raised their hand. “Why do omegas have to go on suppressants, if going into heat isn’t a big deal?”

“Great question, Pyp. It’s for the same reason you aren’t allowed on your phones in class, it’s distracting. So, put it away, Grenn.” Laughter rang out through the class as the ginger grinned sheepishly, putting it back into his pocket. Davos quieted everyone before continuing. “Now, as you said it is not a big deal. For alphas. For omegas, it is much different. During this time, an omega is not themselves, and may make decisions that they wouldn’t otherwise; such as the choice to mate. They would want to, even if they know they are not ready or if they are not with the desired alpha.” Davos clicked to the next lecture slide; how to keep an omega healthy through their heat.

“Now, because an omega’s thoughts are centered around the need to mate, it falls on their alphas to care for them. That does not necessarily mean their mate; you could be caring for a sibling, or other relative as well.” Before Davos could continue, his phone rang.

“This is Seaworth, what can I do for you? … Alright, I’ll let him know.” Davos hung up, looking around the room until his eyes fell on Robb Stark; one of his best students. Robb was a good lad, respectful, unlike some of his classmates. “Robb, your cousin got sent home early, and forgot his backpack in class. Mr. Baratheon wants you to go retrieve it and his homework for him.”

“Is Jon alright?” Robb asked, standing.

“I don’t know, son. You’ll have to ask your father that.”

Robb left the class, and another student raised her hand to ask a question before Davos could continue his lecture.

“If it’s not dangerous for alphas to be around in-heat omegas, then why is it so important for us to stay away from them?”

“Another good question. Have any of you heard of what’s called a ‘heat bond’? Simply put, it’s a temporary mating. The omega in question would have your scent, and you would both feel the same effects as if you’d become mates. Usually they wear off within a week or two of separation. Now, any more questions?”

“You mentioned we may have to care for relatives. Is it possible to have a heat bond with someone you’re related to?”

“It is extremely rare and very abnormal. Some of you may have had siblings remark on how terrible you smell, that’s because on a genetic level, our pheromones serve as a deterrent to anyone whose genetics are not compatible with our own. Say you both have a recessive trait for the same disease that would express in any children you have; you would not find each other’s scents particularly appealing. That goes for siblings most of all. Alternatively, if you find an omega whose scent is very appealing, it means that you are both compatible genetically speaking. There is no such thing as ‘true mates’, but we have evolved to find mates that will produce healthy children. Anything else? Alright. Now, should you find yourself in the position to care for an omega in heat….”

***

Robb was antsy all throughout the rest of the day, filled with concern for Jon. He was hardly able to concentrate on his classes, as much as he tried. The school was alive with rumors about what had happened to “that kid in Baratheon’s class”. Outrageous stories ranging from Jon coming down with an incurable, fatal strain of the flue to suddenly going into heat in the middle of class, both of which were impossible. Robb couldn’t stand being so in the dark about that had happened, no two people able to agree on the same cause for Jon’s sudden departure.

Thankfully, when he told his uncle Benjen that he would be unable to practice, he needed to get home and make sure Jon was alright—no one was answering his calls and texts and it was driving him mad—the man waved him off and told him it was fine so long as he made up the missed practice another time. As soon as Robb got home, about to find Jon, he was met with his parents waiting for him at the dining room table.

“Come have a seat,” Ned said, gesturing to the chair in front of them.

“What happened to Jon? Can I go see him?” he asked when he took a seat.

“No,” Catelyn said. “He has gone into heat. Your father and I think it would be best if you stayed away from him for the next few days, until it’s over.”

“Jon is a beta,” he said, unable and unwilling to believe Jon could be anything but. Although when he was younger with his spitfire attitude that seemed to always be simmering just below his brooding façade, they had all expected Jon to present as an alpha. Having never presented either way, Jon was determined to be a beta just like the majority of the population. And betas didn’t have heats.

“No, he’s an omega. He presented late, it seems. Such things have been known to happen from time to time.”

Robb should probably just leave it alone. His parents’ minds were made up, and they were just as stubborn as he was, but he couldn’t bring himself to give up on the subject. “I just want to speak to him for a few minutes. Please.”

“I said no. Jon is an omega in the midst of his first heat. He can’t be around any alphas right now, not even you.”

“But Mr. Seaworth said I could take care of him, without his pheromones affecting me,” Robb said, pleading.

Catelyn look between her son and husband, before finally sighing. “Go take him some water,” she said. “He’s probably scared. Seeing you— _briefly_ —may put him at ease.”

“Thank you,” Robb said gratefully, going to the kitchen to get a few bottles of water out of the fridge before going to find Jon. His cousin was probably miserable, only a few yards away on the other side of his bedroom door. Robb had heard from his friends, those that were omegas, that the first heat was always the worst. He could only imagine how bad it was for Jon now, his body having to make up for several years’ worth of lost time. He could hear Jon mewling and crying, begging for something—anything—to help him.

“Jon?” he asked softly when he opened the door, leaning in. He could hear Jon, and smell his cloying scent, but he couldn’t see him. He stepped all the way into the room, eyes searching for any sign of Jon, and finally found him hidden away in the closet that had haphazardly been made into a makeshift den. His nest was a pitiful pile of quickly thrown together spare blankets and pillows. Jon was the only omega in the family now, Ned and Cat both being betas. Because of this they were completely unprepared, and had nothing for him to make himself a proper nest. That would have to be fixed, after this was all over and done with.

“Jon,” he repeated to get his attention, closing the door and going to kneel down beside Jon in the nest. The young man looked as miserable as he’d sounded, his body—clad in nothing but boxers in an attempt to cool off—flushed and covered in a sheen of sweat. He looked up with glazed, hazy eyes.

“Rob…?”

“It’s me. How are you feeling?”

“Hot. It _hurts_ ,” he keened, rubbing his thighs together. Robb could see they were glistening with slick that had dripped down his legs.

“I know,” he said, reaching out to pet Jon’s hair. His cousin sighed, the touch seeming to give him some small relief as he nuzzled into his hand. Or perhaps it was Robb’s scent, that he was an alpha, comforting Jon.

“Make it stop,” Jon pleaded, pulling himself closer to nuzzle his cheek against Robb’s thigh. Definitely because of his scent. Jon’s body was calling out for an alpha, and Robb was as good as any. Better even, perhaps, because of how close they were already. He was a known entity, familiar.

“I don’t know how.” Robb wished he had some solution to end Jon’s heat immediately, the only thing he knew that would help being something his parents would castrate him for even considering. If they had known Jon was an omega, he could have been put on suppressants to prevent his heats right after presenting, like most other people did until they were ready for mating and children.

“I think I should go,” he said. Jon’s scent was beginning to get to him, overwhelming his better judgement. Sweet and tempting, it was so hard to resist sinking his teeth into the other teen. Literally, as he watched Jon unconsciously bare his neck to him. As soon as he began to stand, though, Jon grabbed him, holding him down with surprising strength.

“No, don’t leave me, please. You can’t leave.” He was still nuzzling Robb, as if he couldn’t help himself. “It’s not as bad with you here,” he mumbled.

Robb was conflicted—Cat had told him he could only see Jon long enough to bring him water—but as he watched Jon start to finally relax a little, his decision was made for him. “I’ll stay with you,” he promised, urging Jon to move away from him. Realizing what he was after, Jon moved aside, making room for Robb in his nest. Robb kicked off his shoes and joined his cousin, wrapping his arms around him when Jon curled up against his chest. He smiled when he felt Jon’s soft, content humming.

“This shouldn’t be happening to me. I’m a _beta_ ,” he whined, voice muffled against Robb’s chest.

Robb ran his fingertips up and down Jon’s bare back, feeling how hot his skin was to the touch. Feverish and slick. “Apparently, you’re not,” he said. Jon groaned his unintelligible response against his chest, and Robb felt the way his lips scratched at his shirt. Frowning, he pulled Jon away from him. He rubbed his thumb over Jon’s bottom lip, feeling how dry it was. Without thinking, Jon’s tongue slipped out to lick at the digit, but it wasn’t wet with saliva as it dragged roughly over Robb’s skin, and he remembered why he had come here in the first place. More than anything, an omega needed water when they were in heat. With how much slick they produced, they got dehydrated so easily.

“Here, I brought you some water,” he said softly, petting Jon’s hair. He tried to move away from the nest to grab one of the water bottles, but Jon wouldn’t let him. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.” He stood and left Jon in his closet-turned-den, taking one of the bottles from where he’d left them lying on the bed. Jon acted as if he’d been gone for hours when he returned to the nest.

“You’re back.”

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere.” It took some coercing, but he got Jon to sit up on his knees, and he handed the other the bottle of cold water. Jon made a sound of disapproval and tried to turn away. “Jon, stop it. You need to drink before you get dehydrated, if you aren’t already.” He put his hand on the back of Jon’s neck to keep him in place, holding the water up to his lips. Jon stubbornly kept his mouth closed, until Robb tipped the glass up a bit and the water trickled over his dry lips. That seemed to be all it took for Jon to realize how thirsty he was, and he was soon drinking greedily. He made no move to take the bottle, and so Robb stayed crouched there, idly rubbing the back of Jon’s neck and tipping up the bottle until all the water was gone.

“Feel better?” Jon nodded, panting just a bit as he slumped against Robb. “You haven’t eaten anything, have you?” Jon shook his head as expected, confirming Robb’s suspicions. He knew omegas typically ate very little to nothing at all during their heats. They spent the first day or two of preheat eating plenty, like a runner might do the night before a marathon, so that they would be sustained for the coming days. But Jon hadn’t known to do that. Too late to do anything about it now, he doubted he would be able to get Jon to eat anything. He would try, in a little while.

In the meantime, he sat there, petting Jon’s hair. He seemed to like it, preening under the touch. “I brought you a few bottles of water. Try to remember to drink them, alright? You’ll make yourself sick if you don’t.”

Jon ‘muff’ed in response, pulling at Robb’s shirt until he laid down with him again. Robb found it endearing, really. Jon reminded him of a kitten like this, wanting attention, needing someone to take care of him. He was almost purring now where he rested on Robb’s chest, a happy, content, drowsy omega who finally had an alpha to keep him company and take care of him.

“Get some rest,” Robb murmured, softly stroking his hair and over his back. Slow, relaxing movements that soon had Jon snoring softly against him.

Robb had one hand buried in Jon’s hair, lightly scritching at his scalp, the other wrapped firmly around him as he lightly dozed, when he heard the door open. Catelyn was there to check on them, lightly to make sure they were behaving—Robb had been in there for quite a while, much longer than it would take to get Jon to drink some water.

“How is he doing?” she asked.

“Much better. Is there nothing we can do to help him?”

“Sadly not. Nature will just have to take its course. When it ends, I’ll take him to get a prescription for suppressants.”

Robb looked down at Jon, wishing there was something more he could do. He woke Jon up when he went to pull away, hushing him back to sleep while the other pawed at him tiredly, disgruntled at being woken up from his much-needed rest. Had his mother not been standing right there in the door, he likely would have done something silly like taken off his shirt to leave with Jon. Instead he got up and followed Cat out into the hall.

***

Robb was not to go into Jon’s room again unsupervised. When Cat had brought him out, his eyes had been nearly black with lust, his blue irises a thin ring around his blown pupils. She could only imagine what they might have gone up to, had she left them to their own devices. Robb promised he would not go in there again unless he had permission to do so, and Ca was satisfied that he would be true to his word, trusting him enough to find reasons to leave the house each day, wanting to be away from all the sounds Jon kept making just down the hall. It was annoying, really.

Robb made it a day and a half before he couldn’t take it anymore. Jon was crying and helpless, and Robb couldn’t stand to leave him all alone to suffer through this by himself. Knowing he would feel guilty for breaking his promise to his mother—but not nearly as guilty as he would feel for leaving Jon alone in his misery—he went to check on his cousin. Catelyn was out with her sister, Ned away at work, leaving Robb and Jon alone. His parents believed him to be studying for the upcoming midterms, and indeed he had been, until now. Cat would be gone a few more hours, it would be enough time. He could get in, get out, and pretend nothing had happened, his parents none the wiser.

Jon was even needier than he had been before, continuously spreading his legs with a whorish look on his face, trying to make Robb touch him. Robb wouldn’t, and he had to contend himself with two of Robb’s fingers in his mouth—put there to quiet his begging—softly sucking at them

“When was the last time you had something to drink?” Robb asked, pads of his fingers rubbing over Jon’s tongue. Jon didn’t answer, his attention taken with lewdly sucking on his fingers as if they were a cock instead, his eyes closed. Robb pulled them out of Jon’s cottony mouth, trying to make the teen look at him. “Jon? Answer me.”

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, eyes still closed.

“Jon, I told you that you needed to remember to keep hydrated,” Robb chided. “I’m going to go get some water for you, alright?” he said softly, kissing Jon’s hair. When Jon tried to hold onto his shirt, he pulled his hands away, lifting them to kiss his palms. “I’ll be right back, I promise.” He stood and left Jon in his closet-turned-den, quickly going to the kitchen to get water for him. He also searched around until he found some more bottled water, grabbing an armful to take to Jon. Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed a bag of beef jerky for him to nibble on, hoping to coax him into eating at least a little bit. He needed to keep his strength up, lest the poor thing wither away.

Having gathered everything he thought he would need, he went back to Jon, finding him face down in the nest, keening, his ass up, presenting for Robb. Robb blushed, setting the bottles down by the closet, outside the nest, and rolled Jon over with a mumbled, “don’t do that.”

“You’re back,” Jon said, looking much worse for wear. Robb smiled at him, brushing his hair back from his sweaty forehead, tucking a lock behind his ear. Just like before, Jon leaned into his touch with a pleased sigh.

“Here, try to eat some of this, alright?” He presented a piece of jerky to Jon, who protested again, and quite obviously didn’t enjoy it as much as he had the water, but Robb managed to get him to nibble on a few pieces. He would try to get him to eat more later.

Robb was barely awake, his face buried in Jon’s hair as he lightly slept, when he heard a car pulling into the driveway. Catelyn home. Robb quickly got up—and this time tripped off his shirt to leave with Jon in hopes of his scent keeping him lulled when the omega whined in protest—then all but ran into their shared bathroom to jump into the shower and hastily scrub Jon’s cloying scent from his skin. He had spent hours with Jon, much longer than he’d intended, and he knew he smelled of an omega in heat; it would be impossible to hide what he had been up to.

When his mother questioned him, he said he’d been trying to wake himself up with a cold shower after hours of boring studies. He felt guilt nag at him when his mother accepted the lie without second thought. Especially since he knew that this would likely be the first of many where Jon was concerned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is now longer with 2 chapters than it was with 7! Ah, the wonderfulness that is rewrites. I hope you all like this chapter, if you do please comment as normal :3

For the rest of Jon’s heat, Robb did his best to avoid going to see his cousin more than was necessary to check on him and make sure he was alright. As alright as could be expected, anyway. The young omega was terrible at remembering to keep hydrated, always so thirsty when Robb went to see him, and unwilling to water himself; he preferred Robb to do it while he was curled up on Robb’s lap. A part of Robb suspected Jon was doing it on purpose. Intentionally neglecting himself, knowing that Robb would come to care for him, and have an excuse to be close to him, curled up on his lap like a purring kitten. If it was all a part of his heat-addled scheme, Robb fell for it every time, but he didn’t mind it. He liked the way it felt to take care of Jon, like his cousin was _his_ omega, and he was getting to play the part of the valiant, caring alpha. And seeing Jon that way, so desperately needy, just did something to Robb. He couldn’t get enough of it.

Still, his chances to see Jon were few and far between, Catelyn not leaving the house again as long as she did that first time. Perhaps she knew what Robb had been getting up to—nothing, really, it was _nothing_ —or maybe she only suspected. In a perfect world, she would be none the wiser, having no idea just how much time Robb was spending with Jon despite his promise to not do so again without supervision or at the very least permission. Either of the first options were the most likely, stealth had never been Robb’s forte. For that very reason he kept his visitations restricted to late at night, once his parents had gone to bed to sleep and were blissfully unaware of their son’s activities, and brief, never much longer than an hour. He could hardly take any more than that, with Jon smelling the way he did, so close and willing. It was unfair for him to be tempted such, but he knew he couldn’t take advantage of Jon, as much as the primal part of him wanted to.

The way he had to go about things almost like a criminal led to many sleepless nights and groggy mornings, but it was worth it to ensure Jon was properly cared for. And of course, it was worth it just to see him. His precious Jon, exhausted and miserable from getting too little sleep as his body burned, and rendered to the likeness of a weak pup. It was sweet, adorable even, the way he would cuddle up to Robb with soft cries and quiet mewls, begging for his touch and attention, nuzzling and kissing him wherever his scent was strongest in a way that had Robb blushing like a virgin. Even still he let Jon do as he pleased, laying on his back in the nest when Jon rubbed up all over him, catlike. Anything to help soothe Jon’s misery, if only for a little while.

He did have to stop him when his hands started straying, however. Robb didn’t think he would be able to control himself if his own clothes came off, Jon perpetually dressed down to his boxers. He was barely getting through the experience trying to breathe through his mouth and not smell Jon’s cloying scent; he would be lost should the omega touch his bare skin. Somehow, he managed to pull himself away every time before they did something that they would both regret once the heat ended and sense returned to them.

But one time, Robb couldn’t bring himself to leave. Jon just kept pulling him back, straddling his lap, holding him down. Robb could easily remove him if he wanted to, Jon was much smaller and he was much stronger. It would be a simple task to push Jon off and retreat to his room. But he _didn’t_ want to. For eight days he had walked away. One time, just this once, he could stay. Telling himself it was for Jon’s benefit, he pulled the omega close to kiss and suck at his neck. Jon was pulling at his hair, blunt nails scratching at his scalp, holding him close by those red curls. It was for Jon’s benefit that he allowed his fangs to drop and skim over Jon’s milky skin, teasing him with the prospect of mating. Jon was excited at the thought, Robb could easily feel how wet he was with the way Jon was filthily grinding on his thigh, desperate for relief.

Catelyn would certainly geld him if he mated Jon in the midst of his heat. Ned as well; the man would likely _disown_ him for doing something horrendous. No Stark would behave so deplorably with an in-heat omega that hadn’t made arrangements for such circumstances. Jon couldn’t consent to mating, Robb reminded himself, all but growling the words inside his own thoughts. Jon didn’t _want_ a mate. He’d been quite vocal on the matter that he was lucky to be a beta, because there wouldn’t be pressure on him to find a mate to bond with. But oh, how Robb’s teeth ached to sink into his pretty, perfect skin.

Robb abruptly pushed Jon off of him instead, following to press him into the nest on his back. Jon looked up at him with a hazy kind of delight, almost smiling as Robb kneeled between his invitingly spread thighs. Robb almost kissed him then, his pretty scarlet lips absolutely begging for it, but he wouldn’t take that from Jon. Let his first kiss be with someone better than him. Instead he retracted his fangs and bit at the juncture of Jon’s neck and shoulder with blunt teeth that would bruise but not scar, while his hands pulled slick boxers down his legs and tossed them aside because they were _in the way._ Wanting Robb to be similarly undressed, Jon scratched at Robb’s back through his shirt, trying to pull it over his head but Robb wouldn’t let him. If he took his clothes off now, he would be even more lost than he already was. Instead he pushed and pulled until Jon was on his knees and elbows, his face buried in the shirt Robb had left for him; presenting exactly the way Robb had told him not to the first time. Robb ran his hands down the picturesque curve of Jon’s back, fisting one hand in black curls and just tightening his grip until he was pulling firmly at the roots, Jon lifting his head with closed eyes and spit-slick lips parted in pleasure. Grinning fiercely, Robb let him go to put his hands elsewhere; on his soft ass.

As would any other alpha, Robb would give just about anything to get his cock inside as pretty an omega as Jon, but he was just coherent enough to know that would be bad because _birth control._ Jon wasn’t on it, and neither of them could risk that. He would have to content himself with just sinking two fingers into Jon’s slick hole, slowly thrusting and spreading them to stretch him out. He didn’t really need it—like this he was made to take a cock and a fat knot with ease—but he seemed to enjoy it, even more when Robb pushed in a third. Jon was pushing his hips back, trying to fuck himself on Robb’s fingers. It likely wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him, but damn if it wasn’t quite the sight, Jon acting like a pretty little desperate whore, wanting nothing more than to be filled up with an alphas seed and stretched around a knot. He would look so sweet like that; creamy thighs spread, cheeks flushed a rosy pink, eyes foggy with pleasure, his pretty plump lips parted in a stupid, well-fucked smile. It was mouthwatering to think about, and Robb’s fangs were dropping again, unbidden.

He was pulling his fingers away before he could think better of it, Jon making a sound of disappointment before being cut off with a gasp as Robb replaced his fingers with his tongue. He eagerly chased the sweet taste of Jon’s slick, mercilessly teasing him with his tongue, hands on his pale cheeks to hold him open. Robb could only imagine how they looked together, would likely be mortified that he’d acted like this later. Jon had no reason to be ashamed, he had no conscious control over the way he was grabbing at Robb’s curls with one hand to keep him exactly where he was. But Robb didn’t have the excuse of going into rut, being on suppressants to prevent exactly that.

What if Jon’s heat and his rut were synced up, and they didn’t even know it, Robb wondered. That would be… more than he could take. It would be quite a week for them to spend with each other, so caught up in pleasure and each other and pure animal instinct. They would certainly be a mess of come and slick after.

Jon had just enough sense to scream into a pillow when he came on Robb’s tongue, silencing himself rather than waking his aunt and uncle. That would be catastrophic. Being caught cuddling was one thing, but being caught with Robb tongue-deep in his ass and they would surely throw him out.

Robb hadn’t even been thinking about getting off, but now he was. He pulled back, rubbing the rim of Jon’s pretty little hole with his thumb with a satisfied smirk. With his free hand, he pushed his pants down just enough to free his hard cock, rubbing his hand down Jon’s inner thigh to gather enough slick to stroke himself until he came all over the omegas back, painting him in white streaks. Jon was satisfyingly filthy, all because of Robb. It was a beautiful sight. He reached over Jon to take his shirt and clean the come off his back with it. Jon was even more beautiful when he rolled over to look at Robb, his eyes nearly black with lust, his belly stained with his own come. Robb thought about cleaning that off with his shirt as well, but instead leaned down to lick him clean.

He liked the salty taste of sweat and come on Jon’s skin, licking a stripe up his abdomen to his chest so that he could kiss and suck at his sensitive puffy nipples. He didn’t stop until Jon was keening, finally pulling away with a soft, wet ‘pop’. By then his lust had simmered down somewhat, and the way Jon looked at him—like Robb was his alpha, his mate—was enough to make reality set in. Robb realized what he had done and felt as if he would be sick, tearing himself away from Jon who had wrapped loose around his neck to hold him close.

“I’m—Jon, oh my god—I’m so sorry—I—I—I need to go.” He stood on shaky legs, not letting Jon keep him in the nest this time as he left the distressed omega in favor of locking himself in the bathroom. He needed to shower, scrub Jon’s scent off of his body and _think_. The cold water cascading over him was enough to shock the rest of any residual lust out of his mind, cold rational thought taking over. Oh god, he really _was_ going to be sick. He had done exactly what he’d been taught all his life not to do, taking advantage of a helpless omega like that. And—and he _knew_ Jon wouldn’t have wanted something like that, had he been in his right mind.

Davos always said it was possible to resist that—but he couldn’t have—no he _could_ have, he had, for a week he _had_ , he should have just walked away like he had before. Jon was going to hate him when this all ended. Jon would hate him, and never talk to him again, and that was exactly what he deserved because he was just like every other sleazy alpha looking for omegas to molest. And he was Jon’s cousin, his best friend, the one person he should be able to trust to protect him, not do—this. Robb felt like he was going to cry, his face hot and eyes burning as he scrubbed viciously at his skin, still able to smell Jon on his skin, still able to taste him. He ruined everything, all because he couldn’t do the simple task of leaving Jon alone, as he’d been told to do, as he’d promised to do. If he did cry, he couldn’t tell the difference between it and the water pouring down over him. He just hoped he would be able to fix all of this, if he could even bring himself to dare ask for forgiveness.

***

For Jon, it was a long week, seemingly never-ending, not that he had any way or care to gauge the time that had passed. It was just an eternity of burning from the inside out with lust, wanting it all to end. A week stretched into a week and a half, and when it began nearing two weeks, Robb’s melancholy was replaced by concern. It shouldn’t be lasting so long, heats on average running three to seven days, eight or nine at the very most but usually only around five. Even Ned and Catelyn were growing concerned, talking about the possibility of taking Jon to the hospital to make sure everything was fine with him. That was when the fever finally broke, and gradually Jon returned to himself. Robb was at his side all the while with ice water and soothing touches, his stomach coiled with anxiety as he waited for Jon to remember what had happened and recoil from his touch in revulsion, proclaim that Robb stay away from him, never touch him again. That time never came, Robb’s fear having been in vain. He knew he should tell Jon himself when it seemed he simply would not remember, but he could not bring himself to do it. He was too afraid of how Jon would react, he would rather keep the sick feeling—and Jon’s affection, so selfish was he—to himself.

Once Jon was once more back to himself, he was different. A slight flush to his cheeks that remained for a day or two after his heat, the glow of a healthy omega that was quite becoming on his pretty, pale face. His scent was different as well. Mouthwatering, Robb thought, there was no other word for it. It was no longer the muted, almost nonexistent smell of a beta that it had been. And there was a submissiveness to him in the way he carried himself now. Hardly noticeable, it was just in the way he tilted his head to the side _just so_ , subconsciously baring his neck when talking. Or the way he would glance down, just for a moment, before speaking to an alpha—even to Robb. Robb wouldn’t have noticed, he _shouldn’t_ have noticed, if he hadn’t been looking so closely. There was no reason for him to be paying such close attention to his cousin. He especially had no right to now.

***

Ever since they were kids, Robb and Jon had been close, though not quite inseparable. They fought, as rowdy children did, going at each other with teeth and nails often enough to cause more than a few strands of grey in Catelyn’s hair. But now, Robb thought as he watched Jon come towards him with two steaming mugs of coffee in his hands, they’d grown so much closer. Affectionate rather than fighting. It filled him with guilt, the way he basked in Jon’s presence. He knew his cousin could smell the bitter scent of his guilt that was no doubt clinging to him, his nose twitching like a bunny in distaste when he handed Robb his coffee and sat down beside him.

“What’s wrong?” Jon asked, curled up to Robb’s side. They didn’t even have to think about it, drawn to one another. Robb’s arm had settled easily around Jon’s shoulders before he’d even realized. He pulled it back now with a shrug, both hands wrapped around the warm coffee. Jon only frowned, not one to admit liking it when Robb held him close, but liking it all the same, and clearly wanting it to continue. “Tell me,” Jon prompted, elbowing him in the ribs. It wasn’t hard, he didn’t want to hurt Robb and make him spill his coffee. Just firm enough to nettle him.

“I’ll tell you after the movie,” Robb said glumly, staring at his pale tan coffee. Jon always made it with more cream than he did, liking the sweetness. Robb had been trying to avoid things that were too sweet for the last few days as Jon’s residual heat wore off.

Well and truly scowling now, he reached over Robb to grab the remote and turn off the tv, before turning to fully face him now with his legs pulled up on the couch beside him. “Or you could tell me now.”

“ _Later_ , Jon,” Robb said as much as pleaded. He looked over to the kitchen; he could hear Catelyn finishing up the last few dishes from the dinner. Like most mothers, she had excellent bordering on supernatural hearing. If he was going to confess his sins, he didn’t want to do it where she could hear.

“Fine,” Jon said tersely, scowl turning into a pout. It hurt when he pulled away, going to curl up at the other side of the couch without another look at Robb. He set his coffee aside on a little table beside the couch and picked up his book, cracking it open to the page he’d dog-eared. He picked up where he’d left off without so much as a glance at Robb. The cold indifference did not feel good, especially coupled with the scent of simmering frustration.

Robb tried to get back to the movie he’d been watching, but he just couldn’t. Every second Jon’s frustration grew, and it only served to put Robb on edge, which put Jon even more on edge in a vicious cycle. With a groan, he turned the TV back off and stood up. “Fine, I’ll tell you,” he groused, nausea rolling over him in waves. Jon was looking up at him with a quiet smirk hiding at the corner of his lips, satisfaction at winning shinning in his dark eyes. “Let’s go upstairs, okay?” This was said quieter, with a nod to the kitchen. Jon understood the desire for secrecy, and once again set his book aside, heading upstairs. Robb followed Jon into his bedroom, thankful that the scent of heat had abated after much laundry being repeatedly done, and Jon never closing his window.

“Now, what is it that you could have possibly done to warrant such secrecy?” Jon asked, trying _not_ to sound too excited as he sat on his bed. He was always eager to get dirt on Robb, who was so _perfect_ and could _never_ do anything _wrong_. Not that he ever told Cat or Ned when Robb got up to some bad things with Theon; he just liked to be one of the few people to know that Robb wasn’t the good boy everyone thought him to be.

“It’s, um. Well. I’m not really sure how to tell you….”

“Did you get laid?”

“What? No—”

“Steal something? Kill someone? Vandalize something—?”

“Jon—”

“Did you cheat on a test?”

“Stop! Just _listen_.””

“Well, spit it out already.”

“I raped you,” he blurted. Jon was taken aback, to say the least, effectively silenced. “It—during your heat. I raped you,” he repeated quieter, ashamed. Robb stood on the other side of his room, leaning against the desk, arms crossed. He was waiting for Jon to yell, say he hated him, call the cops, something horrible like that, all of which he would deserve. Jon just stared at him quietly for a long time, playing with the fringe of the pillow he was hugging absentmindedly. Robb felt like a bomb that was about to burst when Jon fine spoke.

“Robb,” he said, eerily calm. The fake kind of calm that came as a byproduct of trying to not have an emotional outburst. “I am not on birth control.” He spoke slowly, taking a deep breath, steadying himself. Robb could see his hands were clenched into fists to stop them from shaking. “You need to tell me if you used a condom, because if there is a chance I could be pregnant, I need to tell Cat.”

“No! I mean—I didn’t—I didn’t do that. There was no, um, penetration.” Robb watched Jon exhale slowly. He was doing everything so slowly, so carefully, so thought out in an attempt to keep himself steady—or at least keep up the façade of being so—and it just made Robb feel even worse because he could see that Jon was anything but.

“Okay. Okay, that’s… what did you do then?”

“You really can’t remember?”

“What. Did. You. Do?” he asked through gritted teeth, wanting nothing to do with stupid questions.

“I touched you with my hands and… mouth,” Robb said quietly.

“Was it just once, or—”

“Only once, I swear. I’m so sorry, Jon, I didn’t come back in here after, I didn’t want to—to do that again. I shouldn’t have done it I am _so_ sorry, I can’t say it enough—”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“I didn’t know how. And I didn’t… I don’t want you to hate me. I know it’s selfish but I don’t want you to look at me with fear because I was stupid. I knew better than being around you, but I thought it would be okay, I just—I didn’t walk away when I should have, and—”

“I’m not afraid of you,” Jon said, cutting him off. Robb couldn’t believe it. He looked up at Jon disbelievingly, eyes wide and red-rimmed. Jon got up and walked over to stand in front of Robb, and hit him once, hard, in the center of his chest. Hard enough to knock the air out of him, and leaving him gasping in pain. He earned that. He would let Jon hit him as many times as he liked if that’s what he wanted. But Jon didn’t hit him again, instead reaching up to his face. Robb half-expected to be slapped, but Jon only cupped his cheeks and wiped away his tears with his thumbs.

“You’re an idiot,” he said, causing a fresh wave of salty tears to pour down over his hands. “But you weren’t trying to hurt me. You were just trying to take care of me; it was a terrible idea and you definitely shouldn’t have done it—not to mention it’s _weird_ — but you didn’t hurt me, Robb, and you certainly didn’t _rape_ me.”

“You don’t hate me then?” Robb asked, his voice cracking. Jon didn’t smile, not quite, but the corners of his mouth did lift just a bit.

“No, you fool, I don’t hate you.”

He sobbed in relief, Jon wrapping his arms around his neck and holding him close. Robb threw his arms around Jon’s waist tightly, nearly lifting him off his feet. Jon just kept telling him it was alright as much as Robb apologized and said it wasn’t, voice muffled by Jon’s curls in his face. Jon coaxed him over to the bed, having him lay down with his head in Jon’s lap. Jon ran his fingers through Robb’s hair soothingly until he calmed, and only then did he lay down with him.

“Feeling better?” Robb nodded, scrubbing at his eyes, embarrassed at the outburst. Such shows of emotion were meant for omegas, not alphas. “Good,” Jon said, and then punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t ever do that again, alright? You held back this time, but that doesn’t mean you will again.”

Jon wasn’t quite angry, but he was far from pleased. He didn’t even want to think about the consequences of Robb getting him pregnant—and there were many—he was just glad he wouldn’t have to deal with another heat for a long time. Now that it was over, he could be put on suppressants like every other omega until he decided he wanted to get pregnant. Which would never happen, his stance on that had not changed.

“I promise,” Robb said earnestly, and Jon pulled him close again, Robb resting his head on Jon’s chest and listening to his still fluttering heartbeat.

“Good. Now we are _never_ speaking of this again. I’m not even going to _think_ about it again because it is _really_ gross and weird.”

After that horrible incident, they went back to as they had been before, curled up on the couch with their legs tangled together like lovers, Robb nosing softly at Jon’s hair with a soft smile when he wanted to get his attention. Jon continued to read, using Robbs shoulder as a pillow, sometimes turning to nuzzle him back softly.

***

Catelyn saw the two curled up together like a couple on a movie date on her way back to her room, ice in her eyes and dread in her stomach. She wondered if Robb even realized he was playing with Jon’s hair, running his fingers through the soft strands and down his arm, then back up. Or if either of them realized Jon was purring like a kitten under his touch. They were acting as if they were already mated, even as she knew that to be false. Both of them still had unmarred necks, Jon not carrying Robb’s bite and Robb not carrying the temporary bite some omegas tended to leave. No, they were both still unmated, for now.

She debated bringing it up to her husband when she entered their bedroom. Her expression must have been quite troubled, for he asked what was bothering her and she had no choice but to tell him what was on her mind.

“It’s the boys. Don’t you think they’ve been a bit close lately?” she asked. Ned just shrugged, unconcerned.

“Perhaps a bit. Not that there’s anything strange about that; Jon is a newly presented omega. It’s understandable that he would feel the need to be close to an alpha he knows and trusts.”

“Yes, perhaps, but it feels like more than that. Robb is just as clingy as Jon is being. I don’t like it.”

“My love. He sees Jon as a little brother, someone to protect. Even more so now that he’s presented.” He took Catelyn’s hands, pressing warm kisses to her palms to make her smile. “It is nothing to be concerned over. I used to be the same way with my sister after she presented. I would try to comfort her during her heats, and we were always just much closer.”

“You may be right,” she said, trailing off. She still felt that this was some sense of familial duty, or teenagers playing at being like mates. If felt as if they were mates, despite Jon lacking Robb’s bite

“You’re seeing things that aren’t there, Cat. You need to put the past to rest, and forget your old prejudices.”

“I’ll try,” she said.  She climbed into bed with her husband, kissing him goodnight before slowly falling asleep in his arms.

***

The next morning Cat took Jon out to gather supplies for a proper nest, Robb accompanying them after insisting. He could carry everything like a pack horse, he said, making Cat roll her eyes and Jon laugh. She allowed it nonetheless, even though omegas weren’t supposed to build nests with alphas that weren’t their mates. They were happy in each other’s company, talking conspiratorially amongst themselves in the back of the car while she drove, occasionally glancing back at them in the review mirror. She heard Robb mention something about Theon—she never did like that boy, he was such a bad influence on Robb—that had Jon snickering, and murmuring something back. The more she saw, the more she told herself she had nothing to be concerned over. Robb and Jon weren’t showing signs of any kind of hidden lust or desire. They were just talking as they always did, if a bit closer than before. Ned was probably right, it was likely only because Jon wanted to be with an alpha he was already close to, and Robb wanted to protect an omega he cared dearly for.

Soon after walking into the store that was specifically for nesting supplies, Catelyn ran into her sister Lysa. She was gathering supplies for her son, Robbin, though Cat hadn’t heard of him presenting yet. Perhaps her sister was just sure he would be an omega, or it might have just been another of her—man—eccentricities. Cat waved her boys on so that she may stay and talk with her sister, Robb and Jon eagerly going ahead. Jon was curious, mostly, wanting to see all the kinds of things a nest could be made of. It was almost overwhelming, the many choices in materials to choose from.

“You need to stop stealing my pillows,” Robb said sometime later, his arms crossed over his chest where he stood behind Jon, watching him sift through blankets. He had a fond smile on his face, one he likely didn’t even realize was there. Like he was watching his mate preparing to build a nest for them.

Jon froze for a brief moment, then turned to Robb with a sly, half-hidden smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I’m sure you don’t. But if you don’t stop, I’m going to stop stealing yours to make up for it.”

“Mm, sounds like a fair trade to me,” Jon said, idly petting the grey blanket hanging up in front of him. It was nice, but it didn’t have quite the right texture; too velvety. His hand drifted to the stony green one beside it. That one, he decided, enjoying the way the fluffy texture felt against his fingers. He pulled it down and handed it to Robb, who dutifully took it and folded it over the growing pile in the basket before him.

“You could just come sleep with me,” he teased gently with a soft smile. This time when Jon turned to him, his cheeks were tinged with rose and his lips were set in a scowl. Realizing that Robb was only teasing him, he huffed softly in disgruntlement.

“I’d rather not, you smell terrible.

“Then why take my pillows?”

“First of all, it was _one_ pillow, and I have claimed it so technically it’s mine, which makes it you who’s stealing _my_ pillow.”

“Really? That’s what you’re going with, you little thief?”

“Hey,” he said with an indignant scowl. “I’m not little.”

“Of course not. ‘Petite’ would be a better word.” Pretty and petite, like a sweet little omega ought to be. Robb put an end to that train of thought before it could go further, delving into the shape of Jon’s soft lips, or the curve of his ass, or his hips.

Rather than handing him the next blanket, this time Jon threw it at him. Robb laughed as he pulled it off of his head, and when he noticed that the silky fabric was the same story grey-blue as his eyes when he folded it too over the pile, he didn’t mention it.

Once they were done carefully selecting pillows and blankets, and swatches of fabric coated in pleasing scents to stuff around the nest, Robb had to disappear to a different store. He didn’t say which one, just that it was nearby and that he wouldn’t be gone long. Jon was waiting in the car with Catelyn when Robb finally showed back up, putting whatever he had bought in the trunk before climbing in beside Jon.

“Sorry, that took a little longer than intended,” he said with a sheepish smile, Jon smiling softly to himself as Cat drove out of the parking lot and back home.

***

“I’ll be in my room if you need anything,” Robb said after helping Jon to carry everything into his room. The bed was piled high with shopping bags when Robb left Jon to build his nest, knowing that was something omegas preferred to do alone; nests were something they were quite territorial over with anyone other than their mate. Jon was already getting antsy while Robb was helping him, although he did also seem reluctant to have Robb leave. Still he did nothing to keep Robb there, going instead to his closet. It would need to be rearranged a bit, but that wouldn’t take too long.

Within an hour he had a suitable space cleared, and could finally get to putting together his nest, starting with the pillows. He piled them around the walls in the corner, building up the edges, before carefully laying out the many soft blankets. He hid the scented swatches among the many layers as well, humming happily at the soft scent beginning to fill that corner of his room.

Just as he was getting to the last few blankets, nest almost finished, Jon found something that had him blushing hidden between the last two. There were two narrow boxes, a small note between them. He was almost afraid to read what it said, but he took it anyway, cheeks reddening from a soft rosy pink to crimson as he did.

_For your next heat. Something is better than nothing to take the edge off. -Robb_

It was… he had… sex toys. Robb had bought him sex toys. A knotting dildo—smaller than the real thing, it claimed, made specifically with virgin omegas in mind to help them get accustomed to the feeling—and a good-sized vibrator. Jon was going to die of embarrassment the next time he saw Robb, he thought, taking the two boxes and going to go and hide them in the depths of his closet, where he would not have to see or think about them again. It was a kind gesture but… God, Robb didn’t really think he would use something like that, did he?

At dinner, Jon couldn’t bring himself to meet Robb’s eyes. His cheeks were tinged pink through it all, his blush darkening whenever he glanced up briefly at his cousin. He was acting strange enough that even Ned and Cat noticed, giving them weird looks which only served to embarrass him further. Robb wasn’t much better, blushing in a way that clashed garishly with his hair. Dinner turned out to be a horribly awkward affair, no one talking aside from Ned’s futile attempts at conversation.

Jon soon retreated to his room, curling up in his nest in his pajamas with a book. After a little while Robb knocked softly on the door before coming in. He was trying to look nonchalant, hands stuffed in his pockets, and failing miserably. Jon looked up at him over his book, holding it as if it were a shield. Robb looked around the room, lips pursed, and just as Jon was about to ask when he had come in there for he spoke.

“Earlier was… a bit out of line of me, wasn’t it?”

“Maybe just a bit,” Jon said. “It was certainly… thoughtful.” Yes, Robb had clearly been thinking of certain things quite a bit, for him to buy Jon sex toys. Jon hoped Robb wouldn’t ask if he had used them, or if he intended to.

“I’m sorry, I probably should have asked you first. It’s just—a couple friends of mine said that was a good idea, and since you’re not old enough—and I doubt you would ask mom or dad—I thought I’d just… y’know.”

“Let’s not talk about it,” Jon said quickly, cheeks burning. Robb looked relieved, as if he wanted to explain himself but didn’t actually want to talk about it at all, any more than Jon did. “What do you think of my nest?” Jon asked, if only to change the subject.

“It’s nice?” Robb didn’t have anything to compare it to, but Jon seemed to like it so that looked like the safe answer. Jon smiled, a small thing, beckoning him over.

“Come here.”

“Are you sure? You aren’t going to claw my eyes out if I get near or anything, are you?”

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, you omegas are weird, territorial little beasts when it comes to your nests.” Unless it was their mate, it was unwise for an alpha to approach an omegas nest. Jon smiled more at this, holding his hand out to Robb. Smiling back, Robb walked closer and took it, letting himself be pulled down. It was much better than his nest had been before. Softer, like a cloud, and he couldn’t feel the hard floor beneath. “It smells like you,” he mused, getting comfortable beside Jon.

“What do I smell like?” Jon asked curiously, tossing his legs over Robb’s lap while he leaned back against the wall. A common position for them.

“I don’t know. Just. You. Kind of like roses, I guess, and… winter. If winter had a smell it would be that.”

“What, like mint?”

“No. More like snow? Don’t laugh, I’m serious. The way it smells when you walk out in the morning after a night of snow falling, cold and peaceful; that’s what your scent is like.”

“How poetic of you,” Jon said with a soft laugh. “I suppose there are worse things. I could smell like you,” he teased. Robb slapped the side of his thigh lightly, looking at him with mock offense.

“And what do I smell like that is so terrible?”

“Hmm. Trees and wet dirt.”

“Flattering.”

“What, do you want me to sound like a poet? Fine.” He paused, before speaking dramatically, “It’s like a forest after the rain, with streams of sunlight filtering through the leaves—"

“Alright, stop you brat,” Robb said laughing, Jon grinning back at him.

“Well, you asked. But like I said, trees and wet dirt.” More like a misty forest at dusk, the path lit by the combined, soft light of the setting sun and rising moon, and a trail of lightning bugs.

“You’re so unkind. And here I was trying to be nice.”

“’Nice’. That’s one way to put it,” Jon said, snorting softly.

“Alright you little beast, I’m going to leave if you’re going to keep being so mean to me.”

“You could stay if you want,” Jon said softer, looking down at his book and playing with the edges. Robb wondered if he had even meant to say the words aloud, and thought it best not to ask. Instead he smiled softly, tender, pushing Jon’s legs off of him to move closer. He put his arm around Jon’s waist.

“Why don’t you read to me?”

“What, out loud?”

“Yes. I’ll need some kind of entertainment if I’m going to stay here.” Huffing softly in amusement, Jon curled closer to Robb and began to read to him, all the while Robb’s fingertips stroked over his bare hip softly where his shirt had shifted up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments. Please. They give me life. Without people telling me they like this fic, I wouldn't put so much energy and effort into rewriting it to make sure it is as good as it can be.


	3. Chapter 3

Pending rewrite


	4. Chapter 4

Pending rewrite


	5. Chapter 5

Pending rewrite


	6. Chapter 6

Pending rewrite


	7. Chapter 7

Pending rewrite


	8. Chapter 8

This fic has had many frustrating plot holes in it since chapter 1, and I have written this story out of it's original order. I have since Created an actual outline that is much different from the original story I that the plot holes are filled, some scenes have been rearranged, and quite a few have been added. Overall, it's reading much better, and as soon as Ifinish editing, I will begin posting the rewrite. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Terrible title but I couldn't think of anything else. I'll prob change at some point. 
> 
> SO, I'm going to start posting once a week either on Mondays or Tuesdays most likely, rather then like every few days lol. I'm trying to avoid burn out by posting less, but it'll also give me a chance to sit on my fics and revise more rather than immediately posting. 
> 
> as always, feel free to prompt me any time, and I'd love to hear what you all think!


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